A little over a month ago, a young bloke who grew up, went to school and played cricket in the Penrith area broke a major world record that had stood for an incredible 17 years.
The man was Darius Visser and he broke the men’s T20 International record for most runs in an over, clobbering 39 runs from six legal deliveries while representing Samoa against Vanuatu.
The astonishing feat took place last month at the T20 World Cup Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers in Apia, Samoa.
Facing Vanuatu bowler Nalin Nipiko at Apia’s Garden Oval No.2, the 28-year-old cleared the boundary rope six times during the 15th over of the innings, which featured three no-balls.
Making Visser’s achievement even more remarkable was the fact he was unaware that he broke the record for most runs in an over until International Cricket Council (ICC) staff at the ground caught up with him.
Speaking with the Weekender, the former Claremont Meadows resident explained how the historic moment played out.
“Throughout the innings and the record breaking over, I had no idea it had happened or that I was even on track for it – it just happened to be that way,” Visser recalled.
“So, when the ICC staff told me that I broke a world record, I didn’t have time to process it properly as we were still playing games daily.
“It wasn’t until we finished that I sat at the hotel with the boys and opened my phone. It was mental, absolutely mental! I would have got hundreds of messages.”
Running his own cricket coaching business called Hype Cricket Academy, the former Colyton-St Clair Cricket Club member said he didn’t tell too many people he was representing the tiny island nation on the big stage. So, when news started to trickle in that Visser went berserk with the bat, chaos ensued.
“I told a lot of my clients that I coach that I was going overseas to play cricket but a lot of them didn’t know who I was playing for as I kept it under wraps,” the Penrith Cricket junior said.
“I hate any sort of attention. My Instagram is on private. I’ve said no to a lot of the media companies that want to interview me because I like the quiet life.
“But the ICC started posting about it online and then everyone started messaging me asking what the hell was going on?.”
Visser’s record was huge for the people of Samoa, but it wasn’t the only record he conquered that day. The St Marys Senior High School alumni was also responsible for 75.84 per cent of Samoa’s runs – another record in men’s T20Is.
Visser recorded a whopping 132 runs from 62 deliveries, including 14 sixes and five boundaries, to help Samoa defeat Vanuatu by 10 runs and ultimately win the tournament.
“It was the first time in Samoan history that we won that tournament, and we beat some pretty good teams,” he said.
“Next up is a trip to Dubai next June to play for a spot in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The top three teams will advance.”
For the record, the previous men’s T20I record for most runs in an over was 36, achieved on five occasions, the first of which was India’s Yuvraj Singh smashing six straight sixes against England’s Stuart Broad during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
“I don’t think I’ve ever tried to hit that many sixes – I didn’t even go out to do it in that game,” Visser said.
“We were 4/14 and needed the runs. It was one of those moments where the bowler comes on and you’ve got take him on.”
And take him on he did, with the bowler Nipiko benched from delivering any
more overs for the remainder of the tournament.
“He’s actually a good cricketer, but when you bowl your first three balls and they all go for six, the mind starts playing games. And then he bowls a no-ball, and it all starts going sour,” Visser said.
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.